RWBY: Tears Are Words Enough
Neo screamed.
If an observer were nearby, the individual would regard the sight as an odd imitation of a mime crying out...mouth agape with no sound.
Yet, if Neo possessed a voice, her scream would have echoed into the night, carrying all the pain and anguish inside her...and an observer would not have mistaken her intense suffering.
The young woman doubled over, falling to her knees. She had been bested, knocked off the airship she observed falling from flight. Using her enforced parasol as a sail, she caught the wind long enough to float and avoid a fall from death. Just moment before, as she came to rest on a nearby ledge where she could still see her beloved Roman Torchwick fighting Ruby, the insufferable, irritation of a Huntress, on the airship's deck. Their battle on the airship took place with the floating Tournament Stadium behind it.
She smiled, a hand over her quickly beating heart as Roman asserted victory over Ruby. The young Huntress fought back for sure, but Roman's experience won out in the end. He forced her back, putting "Little Red" as they nicknamed her, in place. He towered over her, ready to deliver the final blow…
...but it never came…
...instead, fortune favored Ruby…
Neo watched, stunned in disbelief as a Grimm landed on the airship behind Roman and devoured him instantly with a single snap of its beak.
No…
She saw Ruby regain her footing as the airship began to sink.
No…!
She watched Ruby jump off the airship, using the recoil of her sniper rifle scythe to land safely on one of the platforms of the Tournament stadium.
No!
Ruby, safe, unharmed...ran off leaving Neo shaking in shock, numb with sorrow...choking on every breath.
And so, Neo screamed.
Tears poured down her cheeks...How? The thought ripped through her mind. How could this happen? The airship crashed, exploding brilliantly, but Neo didn't notice. Inside, her shock and sorrow quickly faded into something else...
Behind her, she heard a low growl of a Grimm. Turning, a snarl on her face, the tear blurred image of a Grimm...two Grimm...three? Four? She didn't care. It didn't matter, they were all going to die.
Neo charged at the Grimm, with only one intent: Kill everything in sight until she found herself reunited with Roman.
Neo slowly blinked her eyes open.
Above her, a gray, daylight sky dropped a gentle rain on the world below. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.
Still alive… she mused, wondering how much time had passed since she fell unconscious amid her rampage.
She shut her eyes tight.
...still alone…
Sitting up, she clutched her right arm in pain. She looked at her hand to see some blood on it from a good cut on her arm, a gift from a fortunate Grimm before she dispatched it. Looking herself over, she saw a layer of dust caked on her outfit and several cuts all over her body, but nothing serious or life threatening. Standing slowly, she looked around.
Behind her in the direction of Beacon, she saw at least a dozen piles of ash marking where a Grimm fell in her fevered onslaught. Off to one side, she saw the blade she hid in her parasol handle stabbed in the ground, no doubt where another Grimm had died. She pulled it out. Ahead of her, the rest of the parasol lay in tattered remains.
The events of before she fell unconscious came back to her. Slaughtering Grimm after seeing…
...she shut her eyes and shook her head, driving the image away. She lowered her head, cursing the good fortune of being alive.
Opening her eyes, Neo, without an idea of what to do...started walking.
As Neo wandered from town to town over the next few weeks, she kept her ears open to casual conversations, watched the news where communication still worked. Cleaning herself up, she recuperated, regained her strength and bought new clothes. She even had a craftsman make a new parasol and perform maintenance on her blade. While the world slowly began to return to a new normal after the Fall of Beacon, Neo still found herself without a focus.
One night as she sat in small cafe eating, a newscast about the Beacon's current condition completed the picture of events. She pieced together what happened at Beacon the night Roman died.
Cinder's plot succeeded.
Disappearing without a trace, Ozpin could not be found. Roaming freely, hordes of Grimm turned Beacon Academy into a no-go zone. Fearing an attack on themselves, Atlas withdrew their forces after providing basic aid to Beacon. During the battle, hundreds of people died…
...including...
…and a strange mystery. Perched atop of the Tower's remains, an enormous dragon-like Grimm forever frozen in stone watched over the Beacon Academy. Witness accounts all said the same thing: while the Grimm dragon hovered near the Tower, a loud cry echoed from the Tower's top, then a bright, white light flashed in the sky swallowing up the Tower, the Grimm and the surrounding area. When it cleared, the Grimm dragon and all Grimm near the Tower were turned to stone.
It made no sense to Neo. What semblance could do that? Did Beacon have a new weapon? Or was it the "item" Cinder kept going on and on about stealing from Ozpin? The one she enlisted Roman to help her obtain?
...the item that got Roman killed…
Neo grit her teeth. Cinder…
Neo left a generous tip, storming out of the cafe. Her thoughts in turmoil, she nearly stomped down the sidewalk passing shop after shop, pushing her small frame through the crowds of people.
Cinder...she put Roman up to this...nearly forced him! If it weren't for Cinder, Roman wouldn't have gone along with some ridiculous plan to overthrow Beacon, Atlas, the other kingdoms...He would have stayed in Beacon, content with the small empire he built!
...and he would be alive...walking beside her...right now…
Neo could hardly keep from quaking as Cinder's face came to mind, with her sultry voice, gorgeous looks...smug smile and subtle threats.
Cinder...Cinder...CINDER...
Inside, Neo raged, devising ways to hurt Cinder, to make her feel a fraction of the pain she felt in her heart at losing everything important. Happiness? Joy? Love? All ripped away because of that ebony haired, perfect figured, Maiden-wannabe.
...anger is all I have left...
Neo suddenly stopped, something in the corner of her eye calling her attention.
Slowly, she turned to see a haberdashery. In the window, mannequins dressed in fine men's clothing tempted a potential buyer to venture inside. Despite the elegant presentation before her, Neo ignored the hand crafted suits, the fine linen shirts, shiny silk ties and stylish dress shoes. Her eyes were drawn to a single item on a hat display stand.
A lone, black bowler hat with a red band and a feather as an accent.
She couldn't keep her eyes off it and somehow, she found herself in the shop looking at it from the inside.
Vaguely aware of the elderly shopkeeper next to her, she turned to hear him ask about her interest in the hat.
She wanted to reply, but she could only stand there, still trying to process how she ended in the store.
The shopkeeper smiled, reached out and took the hat. He handed it to her, assuring her of the top-notch quality and craftsmanship involved in making it.
Her mind still a little numb, Neo took it with one hand and simply looked at it blankly.
The shopkeeper asked if the hat would be a gift.
She shook her head.
A reminder of someone!
Neo nodded with a slight smile, her fingers gently rubbing over the felt.
Someone she lost?
She clutched at her chest with her other hand, her tears forming again. She nodded.
Someone important…
Neo couldn't reply. A lifetime of memories with Roman flooded her mind in an instant. Getting into trouble with him. Crazy capers of outwitting local authorities. Silly con games with other gangsters. Lively parties. Hilarious hi jinx. Getting him out of trouble.
Conversations where he knew what she would say by just a look in her eyes, a slight tilt of her head, a flutter of her eyes, a raise of an incredulous eyebrow, a smile...that spoke volumes for her, filled her mind.
His voice. His suave demeanor. His ascot. His walk. His hair. His confidence. His cane. His seriousness. His aloofness. His laugh. His frown. His eyes. His candor. His cutting wit. His smile. His lips. His kiss.
She couldn't stop the tears from flowing, quivering in place for a moment before dropping to her knees silently sobbing.
The shopkeeper knelt down in front of Neo. He picked up the hat, dusted it off and handed it to her, placing her hand on it.
Neo looked up, wiping her tears. She looked quizzically at him.
The old shopkeeper placed his hand on hers and didn't say anything. He simply smiled, easing the hat toward her again.
Understanding, she pulled the hat close to her chest with both hands, closing her eyes.
It looked like his...felt like his…
It would be enough...something to remind her of him...and all he meant to her.
She wanted to thank the shopkeeper, to say something to indicate how much she appreciated the gesture, one she certainly didn't deserve. She opened her mouth but the shopkeeper stopped her again. Gently, he reached out and wiped her tears.
She didn't need to say anything.
Tears are words enough.